Annual N.H. mid-winter bald eagle count (yes that’s a thing) documents nine of the birds along the Connecticut River

A young bald eagle who injured its wing four months ago was released by Tom Ricardi of Conway’s Birds of Prey Rehabilitation Center near where it was found by the Connecticut River in Deerfield, Mass, in July 2017. (Paul Franz / Greenfield Recorder)

Wildlife watchers counted a total of 97 bald eagles in the Granite State.

Those along the Connecticut River included seven adults and two juveniles.

The 38th annual count was coordinated by N.H. Audubon in collaboration with the N.H. Fish and Game Department’s Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program, and it took place during a two-week period in January.

And here’s how the total tally compares to years past:

Historical Data

Year

Eagles Counted

2015

110

2005

55

1994

25

1984

12

So, what about that drop from 110 in 2015 to 97 in 2018 mean? From the release:

As for longer-term trends, aside from this year’s drop, the number of eagles counted during the mid-winter survey in New Hampshire has been nearly doubling every 10 years.

“In 2017, the bald eagle was removed from the State Threatened and Endangered Species List due to their remarkable recovery,” said Sandra Houghton, a biologist with NH Fish and Game’s Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program. “Monitoring wildlife populations through efforts like this helps us evaluate the success of recovery efforts.”

FILE – In this undated photo released by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, a bald eagle flies in Utah. (AP Photo/Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Lynn Chamberlain)

I’ve been lucky enough to attend two release of rehabilitated bald eagles along the Connecticut River (both of the release sites were in Vermont), and took videos at both.